Superconducting tunneling without the tunneling Hamiltonian

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · J. Low Temp. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00681510· OSTI ID:5642506

Arnold, G B

The theory of superconducting tunneling is extended to treat superconducting junctions with arbitrarily thin, but structureless tunnel barriers. An exact expression for the tunneling current is obtained, using standard, many-body, nonequilibrium Green's function techniques, assuming Fermi distributions in each electrode. The tunneling current result agrees with the recent theory of Blonder, Tinkham, and Klapwijk, but extends their results to treat strong coupling superconductors, proximity effect tunneling, and the effects of tunneling angle. Results for the Josephson critical current in S'INS (superconductor S', insulator I, metal N, superconductor S) junctions, where NS is a proximity effect double layer, are presented for barrier thicknesses ranging from zero to barrier thicknesses for which the tunneling Hamiltonian approach is correct, and for varying N metal thicknesses. Results for I-V curves are presented for normal metal (M)-INS junctions for a similar range of barrier thicknesses and N metal thicknesses. It is shown that the tunneling current I is the sum of a supercurrent I/sub S/UP carried solely by Cooper pairs through S, and a quasiparticle current I/sub Q/P carried solely by quasiparticles.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
• OSTI ID: 5642506
• Journal Information: J. Low Temp. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 59:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
SUPERCONDUCTORS
TUNNEL EFFECT
COPPER IONS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
GREEN FUNCTION
JOSEPHSON EFFECT
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
PHONONS
POTENTIALS
PROXIMITY EFFECT
QUASI PARTICLES
STRONG-COUPLING MODEL
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FUNCTIONS
IONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICLE MODELS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
656102* - Solid State Physics- Superconductivity- Acoustic
Electronic
Magnetic
Optical
& Thermal Phenomena- (-1987)